After spending 13 years in the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office reserve program, Kevin Lee, 54, of Napavine, resigned after the November election.
Lee wasn’t alone. After beginning 2021 with six level one reserve officers, there are now just two remaining. And, for the foreseeable future, no new officers will be added, reported Sheriff Rob Snaza.
In the all-volunteer reserve program, level one officers are those with the most training, while level two officers are working toward that status. Lee, who works in code enforcement for the City of Centralia, said he always dreamed of working in law enforcement; the program was a way to “give back” to his community without a total career change.
Citing police reform laws that went into effect in Washington during the summer of 2021, Snaza cut the responsibilities of level one reserve officers. Previously, they had access to a take-home vehicle and could patrol the roads on their own. The demotion meant they could only do ride-alongs and prompted the resignation of one officer shortly thereafter. Another was promoted to a full-time deputy, while two others resigned this fall. Earlier this week, Snaza said his decision at the time was made to “protect” the reserve officers, who he thought could face personal, civil charges against them if an incident were to occur in the field.
But Lee — who resigned after openly supporting Snaza’s opponent Centralia Detective Sergeant Tracy Murphy in the November election — felt the sheriff was using the reform laws as a scapegoat in the hopes of gaining more full-time deputies.
“I think his motive was he wanted more full-time guys. He was hoping all the reserves were going to quit when he demoted all of them. Then, he could go to the commissioners and say, ‘Look, I’ve had four level ones quit because of these reform laws.’ And try to get more guys,” Lee said. “That’s just my opinion. I don’t know if that’s why he did that.”
Both Lee and Snaza reported the move was meant to add “forced multipliers,” or, two-man teams made of a reserve officer and a full-time deputy who could respond to calls as a duo. Snaza claims this was an effort to “save” the reserve program as other sheriff’s offices cut theirs.
“The Legislature changed the reserve programs across Washington,” Snaza said.
But for someone with 13 years experience on the road riding along with rookie deputies, Lee called the decision “disheartening.”
Further, Lee felt it was a lapse in judgment by the sheriff — that he was snubbing the chance to use a free, experienced, motivated workforce during a time when resources were already strained.
After the demotion, which he said was carried out by administrative staff rather than the sheriff himself, Lee said the sheriff didn’t meet with or contact the reserve officers for over a year and a half. There were rumors circulated on Facebook claiming the program was ended after Snaza’s re-election, Lee said, adding that while it hadn’t been ended, “It’s gutted completely.”
Asked if he felt the community was less safe without the program in its former glory, Lee said, “Yes, 100%.”
After his resignation, Lee said the bridge between him and the sheriff was likely burned permanently.
Snaza’s statements reflected the same sentiment.
“To be bitter the way they are is disappointing. They got away from servant leadership to entitlement. When you are a volunteer, which we appreciate, you don’t dictate how we run the sheriff’s office. We have to think globally,” Snaza said, adding later, “I thank them for the work they’ve done for our community, but it’s their choice.”
Lee said he couldn’t speak on behalf of others in the reserve program, but that for him, the demotion signaled a lack of trust in the officers whose tenures far surpassed the deputies they had been appointed to serve with.
“It’s not fun to think about. It’s just better for me, at this point, to be done with that aspect of it and move forward to what I can do,” Lee said.
Later asked if he would consider joining a reserve program elsewhere, Lee said he’d have to think on it, but he felt his service to the community was far from complete.
